Who is eligible?
Girls who live or go to school in Wallingford are eligible to play for GLLSOW.
GLLSOW players 9-16 years old as of January 1, 2016 can attend these sessions.

Cost?
If you are already a registered player this year there is no additional cost through the end of 2016. If you are not registered yet, you can register at the sessions for $15 to get you through the end of 2016.

What?
Winter softball clinics
We will spend our time working on the FUNdamentals of the game. The sessions will focus on fundamental skills with an emphasis on having some fun learning the game we love.

When?
The sessions will run on Monday nights, starting this Monday, Nov 07th.
We have the storm from 6:45 - 9:15 pm.
The sessions are informal, so you can leave early if you need to, but we do ask that the girls all try to get there on time so we can warm up together.

Wednesday Sessions

Who is eligible?
Girls who live or go to school in Wallingford are eligible to play for GLLSOW.
GLLSOW players 4-8 years old as of January 1, 2016 can attend these sessions.

Cost?
If you are already a registered player this year there is no additional cost through the end of 2016. If you are not registered yet, you can register at the sessions for $15 to get you through the end of 2016.

What?
Winter softball clinics
If you've never played before, this is a good introduction to Little League Softball.
If you played last spring, this is an opportunity to get back into the game and work on your skills for next spring.
We will spend our time working on the FUNdamentals of the game. The sessions will focus on fundamental skills with an emphasis on having some fun learning the game we love.

When?
The sessions will run on Wednesday nights, starting this Wednesday, Oct 26th.
We have the gym from 6:30 - 8:00 pm.
The sessions are informal, so you can leave early if you need to, but we do ask that the girls all try to get there on time so we can warm up together.

Saturday sessions will probably be for 9-16 year olds, but that may change.

Pitching Lessons with Coach Mark
We are planning on having Coach Mark work with the pitchers one at a time during the winter sessions like we did last winter. We haven't finalized days and times with him yet, so we will send an update when that is decided.

Community Service Hours
If you are an older player who needs some community service hours and you like to work with younger players, you can join us and speak to coach Rick. If you have not filled out a volunteer form yet this year, you will need to fill one one out and get a parent signature.

I stress this (almost) all the time as I watch players warming up with no focus on what they're doing. Warm-ups are when every throw and every catch should be perfect because ther is no pressure. It is the one time you can work on your mechanics. I often tell them I would rather they make 15 really good throws than 50 throws just going through the motions.
Even chatting with your partner, you should be able to put enough focus on your warm-ups to make good throws and recieve that ball rather than standing there like a lump and expecting the ball to fly into your glove.
As an FYI, I highly recommend checking out anything you find online from Sue Enquist, Big Al Baseball and Morgan Stuart and her partners at The Packaged Deal. The following article is from Morgan Stuart.

If the most important part about defense is PLAYING CATCH, why are we still so bad at it??
Most defensive plays (those that aren't strike outs or pop ups) require a team to be able to
1. Catch the ball 2. Throw the ball and 3. Catch the ball again... Playing Catch IS Defense.
Too many times, in practice or pre-game, players go through the motions--Dropping balls, overthrowing them, and not paying attention to the adjustments that can be made each rep. This drives me CRAZY. Especially when those same players ask their coaches after practice-- "Coach, what can I work on?"
Be aware of what you're teaching your body to do. Take pride in how you practice the little things (move your feet when catching the ball, hit your partner in the chest, maintain your balance when throwing).
We should EXPECT to make a good throw and to catch the ball (without REACHING) every single time- especially in practice. That's what's expected of us in the game-- WHEN THE PRESSURE IS ON.
When you're not rushed, when there's no base runner, when there's no game on the line-- an accurate throw and a sure catch should be rehearsed. Over and over.
We are bad at playing CATCH because players find it boring, unchallenging, monotonous. If it's really not that hard, why aren't we perfect at it yet?
If we really DO understand the importance of it-- we should strive to be perfect when throwing and receiving. Those things are the most controllable things in our game.October 21 at 12:10pm ·
Morgan Stuart- Get Defensive

Coaches and Parents, If you'd like to help out at the winter sessions, send a note to Coach Rick.

You will need to fill out a volunteer form and have a background check done if you haven't done that yet this year.

If you're a parent considering coaching, this could be a good opportunity to try it out:
It's easier to run a clinic than it is to run than a team in-season,
I will set up the practice plan so you don't have to and
I have a number of middle school, high school and travel players who are looking for community service hours so there should be plenty of experienced help.

If you don't think you know how to coach a team, I will be happy to work with you and there are usually other experienced coaches around these sessions that you can talk to. There are also some coach training opportunities between now and the start of next season, so jump on in, the waters fine!

“5 Crucial Decisions For Softball Success” Written By John Michael Kelly

As the spring softball season approaches, whether high school, travel or recreational I’d like you to pause for a moment and consider all the decisions your athlete has to make during the course of a game, and how little time she really has to make those decisions and react to ball, pitch or play. A typical batter has less than 1/2 second to determine pitch velocity, movement of the ball and ultimate spot to place the barrel of the bat each swing. No small feat! The same crazy quick time pressured decisions are true for fielding and base running.

Ultimately your athlete’s or team’s level of on the field success is dictated by the decisions she/they make. And these decisions are a product of many factors, most all of which are found within her head.

Behind every action is an emotion; behind every emotion is a thought. So how can you insure that your athlete or team thinks and feels optimally so that she/they make good decisions on the field?

1. Decide to play in the MOMENT. – Dwelling on past mistakes or worrying about future ones makes focusing on the task at hand impossible. “Be Here Now,” and watch decision making improve immediately.

2. Decide to NOT make any one mistake/at bat or play more important than it needs to be. – The athlete decides in her head how much power she gives any one “event” on the field. The more power she gives it the bigger it gets in her head; the less power she gives it the sooner the mistake fades away.

3. Decide to always practice with a clearly defined PURPOSE in mind. – Building confidence and making good decisions is the result of proper preparation, for competence breeds confidence.

4. Decide to focus on the PROCESS of getting better instead of your batting average, ERA, fielding % or wins and losses. – Learning to focus on EFFORT and refraining from self-judgment is always the best recipe for a quick bounce back after a mistake on the field.

5. Decide to take RESPONSIBILITY for your thinking and emotional state on the field. – Success happens by design, not by accident so come into a game with a plan, ready to face those adversity demons head on!

In truth so many poor decisions on the field are due to doubt and hesitation, a fear of making a mistake. If your athlete or team can implement these five decisions and you as parent or coach support them you will soon see infinitely better game decision making, better performance levels and a greater joy for playing the game!

Thanks for reading!
John Michael Kelly

John Michael Kelly, America’s Sports Confidence Coach, is known for skyrocketing the self-confidence and game performance levels for thousands of youth athletes and teams from coast to coast by reducing the stress and increasing the joy for playing the game! John also coaches travel softball with the 18u and 18 Gold teams for The Next Level (“TNL”) organization in sunny San Diego. You can follow John at SoftballSmarts.com and Facebook.com/SoftballSmarts.

Here's a quick 5-step routine that will help your hitters quiet the noise and
let their muscle memory take over at the plate...

1. In the Hole
Begin getting ready early so as not to feel rushed.
Stretch and prepare by using relaxation techniques and positive visualization.
Recall any pertinent information about the pitcher.
Check-in to access your present state of mind and use a relaxation technique to calm fears.

2. on Deck
Finalize your hitting plan in your head and visualize a successful at-bat.
While using self-talk, take a few practice swings to determine the pitcher's timing.
Check your emotional level again and stay in control.

3. Before the At-Bat
Get the sign from the coach and visualize a successful swing.
Complete all preparatory actions in the hitting routine.

4. In the Box
Relax with deep controlled breathing to transition to the muscle memory stage.
Right before the pitch take a deep breath and release slowly.
Suck in a little air right as the pitcher reaches the point of release.

5. After Each Pitch
Step out of the batter's box while checking-in mentally.
Get rid of any negative talk or feelings.
Make visual adjustments and use the hitting routine again to prepare for the next pitch.